Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-03-15
Med<siesonae Legislation-EabOr and
Capital.


To the editor of the Alexandria Gazette:
3Ieddlesome legislation is bad. and it may
be stated as wise and just principle that
true encouragement Of industry consists in
allowing each and every man perfect li5er-
tv to employ his own labor and capital as
lie may choose OF eject, and that no unjust
favoritesm, preference, or undue privilege
be granted to any one individual or class Of
individuals for the facilitation Or accumuia-
ton OF wealth. The object of government
is to protect men in The free use and enjoy.
ment OF the reward OF their labor, and the
profits of their industry should be SO secured
that the greed of clsss legislation could not
tamper with them.
Both labor and capital should be left free
to work out their own reward without the
slightest interference from legislation, and
whenever conflict does occur between Ia.
Dor aud capital it is almost always The re-
suit Of some direct or indirect interference
OF legislative action, in giving the one more
or less aGvanta4 over the other. If Con.
gress has any power at all TO interfere with
The natural relations OF labor and capital, it
is simply tc perfect regulations 10 insure
Justice in The conduct Of their relations, and
Congress can 10 more meddle, by law, with
such relationa, without causing evil and
vicious results, than it could were it to at
tempt TO iegislete upon the laws that govern
the vicissitudes OF the weather, without
making itself absurdly ridiculous.
The relation between labor and capital
mus! be left uDembarrassed by meddesome
legislation, and allowed to regulate their
own dependence, one upon the other aud
any attempt 10 protect the one works un-
meriteG Injustice to the other. Non-inter-
ference was the policy which the Constitu
ton Of the United States intended Congress
to maintain IN reference to capital and labor,
and tbs politician or Congressman who
vaunts himself as the special supporter and
defender Of American labor and capital, is a
busy body and mischief maker, and finally
proves himself TO be poweress to DO
good, but powerful to Go evil, and that con-
tinually.
Labor and capital must not be ofliciously
dealt with if is not desirable TO make one
an evil to the other but cupidi;y is always
cunning, and the desire of one class Of men
to encroach upon, or take, without fair
and honorable return, part of the earnings
Of another is haman nature, and this result
is obtained by class legislation and if sue
cessfu! efforts 10 obtain dishonorable gains
under false pretenses be considered enter
prise and the appropriation Of such gains to
increase wealth be called prosperity or "ad-
vanced ideas" then, uHder Congressional
class legislation, favored class of tho
United States enjoy the complete amplitude
of such advantages. The adaptsbility of
labor and the ability of capital must be left
to be harmonized by the selfsustaining and
all.sufficient laws of supply and demand,
and in their own way and time should be
allowed to adjust any dispute that may arise
between them.
The efforts thus ier to manage the rela-
lions Of labor and capital, or to improve
them, have been like those of man who
desiring 10 fell tree, began cutting from
the top. Capital is the result of industry
and economy; and there is no law of either
political economy or the science Of govern
ment to prevent the laborer from becoming
the capitalist. The natural source of wealth
is Industry Or the Industries of business; and
al other modes Of acquiring wealth are ac-
cdental or artificial. Labor should reform
itself, and stop all drains upon its earnings
that tend to consume its profits, and pre-.
vent its savings; and should Investigate
those protective tariff laws Of Congress,
which, while claiming 10 benefit labor, do
take from the conaumerS of the United
States six hundred millions of dollars every
year TO be paid to a few favored manufec-
turers and their immediate employees; and
should further ascertain if the repeal of
these lromissory laws: which arc made for
the gain Of the few, to the loss of the many,
would not be the means of saving annually
TO labor sum equal TO ten dollars, to every
man, woman and child in the United States.
Therefore, it should bo the primary object
Of labor to endeavor to cheaper the price Of
its supplies, and the necessaries Of life, and
without this effort it should not demand a
greater sum for its services than the capital
engaged in ordinary business can afford to
pay. Great gains from business do not
come to ali, and business is prosperous
when, by good management, its expendi-
lures are kept below its earnings; and with
out urtiring diligence and great frugslity,
neither labor nor capital can thrive.